Means for producing artificial light for photographers&#39; use.



No. 897,569. 1 PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908.

' E. E. BARENTZEN.

MEANS FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL LIGHT FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS USE. APPLICATIONFILED NOV. 10, 1906.

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No. 897,569. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1909.

F. E. BARENTZEN.

MEANS FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL LIGHT FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS USE.

Arrmonron FILED xov.1o, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TH: NORRIS PETERS co, WASYHINGTON, v. c.

UNITED STATES PAE FTFICE.

FRANK E. BARENTZEN, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM G.BURNS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANSFOR PRODUOIN G ARTIFICIAL LIGHT FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS USE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed November 10, 1906. I Serial No. 3%,774.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. BARENTZEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Malden, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improve ment in Means for Producing Artificial Lightfor Photographers Use, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on thedrawing representing like p arts.

. The present invention has for its object to provide what might becalled an artificial skylight for photographers use, the invention beingdesigned to take the place of the skylights now commonly used inphotographic studios, and to enable a photographer to take picturesentirely by artificial light and to secure as good results in this wayas is possible with the ordinary skylight arrangement in a studio. Ipropose to accomplish this end by arranging between the source ofartificial light and the subject to be photographed. a ligh t-diflusingmedium which is preferably so arranged that the diffused light emanatingtherefrom may be directed on to the subject at different angles.

By the use of my device the localized artiiicial light becomes asthoroughly diffused and can be directed on to the subject at differentangles and with different degrees of intensity exactly as well as can bedone with the ordinary skylight arrangement now ordi-v narily used byphotographers.

In the drawings, wherein I have selected one embodiment of my inventionfor the purpose of illustrating its principle, Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view through a cabinet embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is asection on the line yg Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation; Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the hood for the artificial light; Fig. 5 is aperspective view showing one form of the invention, the top reflector 34being omitted in said view, but the position thereof being shown indotted lines.

The principal difficulty encountered in taking photographs by artificiallight is that the light'is too intensely localized and the commonarrangements of screens now used in photographic studios are not adaptedfor properly diffusing and distributing the localized light, with theresult that too intense lights and shades are produced in thephotograph.

In the present embodiment of my invention, I provide for diffusing anddistributing the localized light by the following means Extendingoutwardly from one wall 3 of the room or studio are two wings or sidepieces 4. which are preferably of substantially the shape shown in Fig.1 though they might be of other shapes without departing from theinvention. These wings or side pieces eX- tend clear to the ceiling andnearly to the floor, and the front edge 5 of each is preferably inclineddownwardly and rearwardly. Hinged to the two sides or wings adjacenttheir upper ends, as at 6, is a framework 7 which extends from one wingto the other and which supports a screen 8 of some translucent orlight-diffusing material. I have found that ordinary architects cloth ortracing linen answers every purpose, although any suitable translucentor light-diffusing medium might be employed without departing from theinvention. The frame 7 is preferably made in two sections, the uppersection being pivoted to the wings, as at 6, and the lower section 9being hingedto the upper section, as at 10.

The artificial light is designated generally by 11, and this may be ofany suitable character, such, for instance, as an electric arc lamp. Itis shown as being suspended from a cord 12 which passes over pulleys 13secured to the ceiling and wall, and said lamp may be held in anyvertically-adjusted position by securing the cord to a fastening device14. The inner surfaces of the wings 4 and the surface of the wall 3 andof the ceiling 15, which is received between the wings 4, are white,- orsome other light color, while preferably the outer surfaces of the wings4 are preferably black, or some dark color, and if desired the adjacentportions of the walls 3 exterior to the wings may also be dark coloredor black. The light 11 lights or illuminates the entire light-diffusingscreen 8, as will be obvious, and said screen 8 transmits the light intothe chamber on the other side thereof and thoroughly diffuses the light.

In using the device the subject to be photographed will be placed. underor adjacent the illuminated screen 8 and the latter will serve to shedsufficient light on the subject to permit the photograph to be taken.Since the entire screen is illuminated, the light will be directed on tothe subject from a lar e area which is equivalent in every sense to theskylight commonly used in photographicstudios.

By making the interior surfaces of the wings 4t and the surfaces of thewall 3 wide, the amount of light thrown on the screen will be increasedby reflection from the wings and wall, and by making the exterior of thewings f dark and also by darkening the walls adjacent the wings anycross lights will be avoided.

The object of making the frame 7 in sections, and of hinging it to thewings, as at 6, is to permit the angular position of the lightdiffusingsurface to be changed. The light rays which are used to light thesubject being photographed are those which emanate from thelight-diffusing surface 8 at right angles thereto, and by adjusting theangular posi tion of this surface, shown by dotted lines Fig. 1, theilluminating rays may be thrown onto the subject from differentdirections according to the effects desired to be produced. The makingof the frame 7 in two sections which are hinged together permits thediffused light to be thrown on to the subject from two different anglesif desired. 'lhe sections of the frame 7 may be held in the desired.adjusted position in. any one of the several ways. One convenient way isto use cords 31 which are secured to either side of the frame and whichmay also be connected to fastening devices 32 on the wings. Bylengthening or shortening these cords the angular position of thesections of the screen may be detcu'mined.

lt will be noted that the light-diffusing surface does not extend clearto the ceiling, and as a result there is an open space. 33 between thewings adjacent the ceiling. This open space 33 serves too as a means forven tilating the space in which. the light is received, and alsoprovides an pening through which the light from the lamp may be thrownon to a top reflector arranged to reflect the light thrown on to the topof the subject be ing photographed. In. some instances the ceiling 15itself, if it is of some light color, may act the reflector to receivethe light through the opening 33 and reflect the same down on to thesubject.

In some instances it may be desirable to employ an adjustable topreflector in order that the reflected light may be thrown on to thesubject from different angles. In Fig. 1 I have shown such an adjustabletop reflector at 34. This reflector may be hinged to the front edge ofthe wings 4L closely adj acent the ceiling, as at 35, and. willpreferably have a reflecting surface so that the light rays which areprojected through the open space 33 may strike the reflecting surface ofthe reflector and be reflected down on to the subject to bephotographed. This top reflector 34.- can be adjusted in differentangular positions according to the effects desired to be produced andmay be held in its adjustable position by any suitable securing means36. In Fig. 5 the top reflector 34 is omitted in order to better showthe construction behind said part, but the position. of the reflector isshown in dotted lines. I propose also to use in connection with thelight 1] a hood 20 which may be of the shape shown in Fig. 4 and which)referably has its interior surface of some fight-reflecting andlightdiffusing material, such as asbestos, the purpose of this hoodbeing to direct more of the ligl'lt rays radiating from the lamp 11 onto the screen 8. I may also if desired interpose a screen 37 between thelight 11 and the light-diffusing screen. which is also of translucentmaterial and which for the purpose of still further diffusing the light1 1 and causing it to be thrown evenly on to the screen 8. This screen37 may be of any suitable translucent material, such as wax pa per orthin cloth, or architects paper, and it is shown as being suspended froman arm. or bracket 38 extending from the lamp .11. If desired l may alsouse in connection with. the screen 8 supplemental screens 21 of silk orother thin material which are mounted on wires extending transversely ofthe frame 7 and which may be placed. across the front of the screen tocut off li 'ht transmitted. through any section thereof. Some of thesesupplemental screens 21. may be suspended from their upper edge only andhang vertically, and others may be secured to the frame at both theirlower and upper edges. .l have herein. shown the screens which aresupported by the uppersection. of the frame assecured to the frame atboth their upper and. lower edges, while those seemed to the lowersection 9 are suspended. from the upper edge only and hang rertica ly.These supplemental screens 21 permit me to vary at will the amount oflight which is transmitted to the object to be photograpluul through anysection of the main screci'l 2%, and. in this way the strength of thelight which is shed upon different parts of said object may be varied.to suit the coi'iditions.

By my improved. dcyicc the light-diffusing surface 8 becomes in effectthe source of illumination from the subject, and be *ause of its shapeand light-diffusing properties, it distributes the light so evenly thatthere are no intense lights and. shades as would be the case if ahicalized source of illumination such as a lamp were used. for directlylighting the object to be photographed.

I have herein illustrated. one embodiment only of my invention, and. itwill be obvious that this light-diffusing surface S can be made invarious shapes and supported in various ways without de arting from theinvention.

here the room is a wide room, the wings 4 may be extended from the wall3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, but if the room is narrow enough, the sidewalls of the room may be used to support the frame 7 and light-difiusingmember 8. In this case the frame 7 would extend from one side of theroom to the other side thereof and be hinged to the walls of the room.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for producing artificialskylight effects, the combination with a room or space for the object tobe photographed, of a closed compartment separated from said room by apartition of translucent lightdiffusing material, an artificial lightsituated within said compartment, and a plurality of supplementalscreens mounted on said partition and arranged so that the amount oflight transmitted to the object to be photographed through differentparts of the partition may be varied.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with anartificial light, of a translucent light-diffusing screen adj ustablymounted to vary the angular relation thereof to a horizontal plane.

3. A device for producing artificial skylight eflects comprising achamber, one side of which is adjustable relative to the other sides andis composed of a translucent lightdiffusing medium and an artificiallight within the chamber.

4. A device of the class described comprising two wings extendinglaterally from the wall of a room and reaching to the ceiling, atranslucent screen extending from one wing to the other and with saidwings dividing the room into a space to receive the object to bephotographed and a light-containing chamher, and an artificial lightbetween the wings and within the light-containing chamber.

5. A device of the class described comprising two wings extendinglaterally from the wall of the room and reaching to the ceiling, a framehinged to the wings and covered with translucent light-diffusingmaterial and an artificial light back of the frame between the wings.

6. A device of the class described comprising two wings extendinglaterally from the wall of the room and reaching to the ceiling, ajointed frame hinged to the wings and covered with translucentlight-difiusing material, and an artificial light back of the framebetween the wings.

7. In a device of the class described, two wings extending laterallyfrom the wall of the room and reaching to the ceiling, a frame hinged tothe front edge of said wings at a point below the top thereof, atranslucent light-diffusing medium covering said frame, and a light backof the frame between the wings.

8. In apparatus for producing artificial skylight effects, thecombination with a room or space for the object to be photographed, of acompartment separated from said room by a partition of translucentlight-diffusing material, an artificial light situated within saidcompartment, said partition being adjustable relative to said light, anda topreflecting member above the light-diffusing member to reflect thelight down onto the object to be photographed.

9. A device for producing artificial skylight effects comprising achamber, one side of which is adjustable relative to the other sides andis composed of a translucent lightdiifusing medium, said chamber havingan opening above this medium, an artificial light within the chamber anda top reflector above the light-diffusing medium and arranged to receivethe light coming through said opening and reflect said light down on tothe subject to be photographed.

10. A device of the class described comprising two wings extendinglaterally from the wall of the room and reaching to the ceiling, a framehinged to the front edge of said. wings at a point below the topthereof, a translucent light-diifusing medium covering said frame, alight back of the frame between the wings, and a top reflecting memberhinged to the front edge of said wings adj acent the ceiling.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK E. BARENTZEW.

Witnesses:

W. G. BURNS, Louis 0. SMITH.

